General Public License Definition
The General Public License (GPL) is a free software license that permits users to use, study, share, and modify the software. Its most powerful feature is the notion of ‘copyleft’, where any modified versions of GPL software must also be freely available under the GPL terms.
General Public License Key Points
- GPL is a free software license.
- Allows for use, study, sharing, and modification of the software.
- Introduces ‘copyleft’, obligating modified versions to also be under GPL.
What is General Public License?
The General Public License (GPL) is a free software license that was originally written by Richard Stallman of the Free Software Foundation (FSF). The license offers the freedom to use, study, share (copy) and modify the software. It is a type of ‘copyleft’ license which means a product is freely distributed and any works derived from it are also bound by the same freedom.
When and Why is General Public License Used?
GPL is introduced when a developer wants to ensure freedom of use, distribution, and modification of their software. This is typically used in the open-source community. It is used when the developer holds the view that information sharing benefits society, and thus promotes the free distributive nature of their work. It can be viewed as a philosophical stance as well as a practical approach.
Where is General Public License Used?
GPL can be found within many of the software systems we use today, including a significant proportion of the projects hosted on the popular development platform, GitHub. You would also find it in use in software systems of major entities, like IBM and Google.
Who Can Use General Public License?
Anyone can use software under GPL, including individuals and corporations. It is fundamentally egalitarian, erasing the distinction between ‘producer’ and ‘consumer’ of content, since every user is free to modify and distribute the software. In a practical sense, developers, programmers, and anyone interested in modifying the software can use GPL’d software.
How to Use General Public License?
To use GPL, you should first carefully read and understand the terms stated in the granted licence. When you use the software, you are free to distribute copies of the software and charge a fee for the physical act of transferring a copy. You must disclose source code of the software being run, and any alterations you make to it, to anyone who you distribute the software to. This makes it possible for next users to also modify and distribute the same software version.
